Queerty is reporting that Regent/Here Media is folding the Advocate as a standalone publication and will turn it into a 32-page supplement in its lifestyle magazine, Out. The story has taken off (I've gotten numerous e-mails about it, and Andrew Sullivan is linking to the story), but my sources inside the magazine say it is not true:

"Queerty doesn't know what they're talking about," the source said. I'm told there will be changes as the brand is "expanded," but they "are different than what Queerty is saying."

There does seem to be a hint of hedging in that response, but then I remind myself that Queerty is the same blog that erroneously reported last summer that Advocate's editor in chief, Jon Barrett, had been fired and escorted from the building, so it's hard to put too much stock in what they're reporting here, although clearly something is up, as it is at virtually all media outlets.

For the official word on what is going on with The Advocate, read the response to David Hauslaib of Queerty from Stephen Macias, senior vice resident of Regent Media, after the jump. ----->

The White Stuff: In another nod to the "forgotten" LGBT population, President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Act and lifted the HIV Travel and Immigration ban on Friday. (The Caucus)

Alive and Kicking: Jack Price, the gay man whose vicious bashing by two thugs in Queens (who were "defending themselves") a few weeks ago was captured on surveillance video, left the hospital yesterday following six days in a coma, six days on a respirator, and four surgeries. Now blind in one eye, he spoke to ABC in New York and says he hasn't seen the video of his beating, and never wants to. (Towleroad)

Garden Party: The headliners at two Madison Square Garden celebrations and benefits for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon (with a Garfunkel surprise?) and Crosby, Stills and Nash, and a dozen of their fellow members of the hall, along with some aspirants. The nearly six-hour show will be edited into an HBO program to be shown on Nov. 29. (NYT)

State Be Ill-in': Hundreds of students have rallied in support of Dan DeLong, a teacher in Illinois who was suspending for "letting" his 10th-grade students to read a report on homosexuality among animals. Apparently this is far more objectionable than the case of another Illinois teacher who warned his students that they wouldn't want "your tax dollars going to pay some black fag in New York to take pictures of other black fags" and was merely given a warning, when he clearly should have been fired.

No Lipstick on His Collar: Matt Bomer, the dreamy star of USA Network's hit new show "White Collar," is openly gay? That's news to me -- and welcome news at that! (BoyCulture)

Him: Do me a favor, baby: stay on the carpet, OK?Me: They're great, aren't they?Him: I know.Me: I gotta have 'em, man. But 65 bucks?Him: That is the price.Me: Forget it.Him: I like the jacket.Me: It used to belong to Jimi Hendrix. Yeah, but I bet he'd love it if I swapped it for the boots.Him: Deal.

Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Matthew Fox and Michelle Obama are all slated to appear on "Sesame Street" this year, to help celebrate the show's 40th season. Sounds like a lot fun (I certainly don't remember the neighborhood being littered with hunks when I was a kid. I mean really, Mr. Hooper??) Note to Elmo: if Jakey wants to play campout in the pup tent, but all means say yes.

Patrick Dempsey wasn't going to let a little inclement weather stop him from having some fun with fans outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where he stopped to have a word with David Letterman on Wednesday.

It's nearly time for the OUT 100, the gay magazine's annual list of the 100 LBGT people they could think of most influential people affecting the LGBT population. So far we know that Chaz Bono has been selected, named "Most Likely to Reinvent." While the nod would have made a lot more sense, say, five years ago (it certainly seems likely to me), I'm all for recognizing Chaz, who has handled his high-profile transitioning with dignity and grace.

"I always felt like the male from the time I was a child. There wasn't much feminine about me," Chaz told "Entertainment Tonight." "I believe that gender is something between your ears, not between your legs. That is something I discovered in the early '90s. It was just a long process of being comfortable enough to do something about it."

But it was turning the big 4-0 that spurred Cher's little girl into action.

"I was turning 40 and I thought it's now or never. I want to still feel vibrant and be able to enjoy my life in a male body and not wait until I am an old man."

Aaron Hicklin, Out's editor in chief, had this to say about the pick/pic: "He's the first of 100 people we shot, our annual roll call of honor, which this year was photographed entirely by Jason Bell, and themed around school given that adolescence is the time when most of us start coming to terms with our sexuality and who we are. Given that Chaz is transitioning, we felt shooting him in a boys bathroom was a powerful representation of his real identity, albeit with a touch of humor. Chaz was obviously up for the concept, too."

What with my daily helping of Morning Wood and an array of hunky jocks, I'm guessing the odds are awfully good that New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan reads my blog. But now that he has his own, do you think a nice Catholic brother will get a link back?

Hard to believe that former tennis star Mark Philippoussis didn't find true love with his reality show, "Age of Love," that pitted "kittens" versus "cougars." But you need not worry about the Aussie hunk being as lonely as he is broke. It seems he's engaged again, this time to some actress named Jennifer Esposito, who is just (age-appropriate) right. (Did you know this one was married briefly to Bradley Cooper? Not bad..)

Levi Johnston went on "The Early Show" to inform us that Sarah Palin referred to her infant son who has Down syndrome as “retarded.” (Gee, thanks.) I don't know about you, but I think someone needs to stick their cock in this retard's mouth so we don't have to listen to him and his 89 IQ anymore. Let's get to the money shot, Levi, and then just go away.

It seems Matt Fielding, aka the only celibate resident of "Melrose Place," wasn't the only gay character on television getting no action back in the day. But then came the turn of the century when sexy Kerr Smith made his move at the prom on "Dawson's Creek," and things have never been the same. This clips shows the evolution of gay men on nighttime soaps -- and keep your eyes open for a very young River Phoenix! (Via OMG Blog!)

It was a great day for equality in American when President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the bill outlawing offenses motivated by a person's race, gender, identity, color, sexual orientation, or mental of physical disability named after two men killed in separate hate crimes -- Shepard because he was gay, and Byrd because he was black. It was the culmination of a years-long crusade by crime victims and their families.

"Today, we have taken another step forward," Obama said. "This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade."

"No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hand of the person they love," Obama said in a reception in the East Room of the White House.

"At root this is not just about our laws, but who we are as a people," Obama said.

It was an emotional moment that renewed a little bit of my faith in America. The president? My faith in him has not wavered, and Wednesday only reaffirmed it.

Is this the best Congress can muster when it comes to advancing gay rights?

The law morbidly protects gays only after they have been attacked; any consideration for their safety and human rights before such an occurrence still seems a congressional afterthought.

Put another way, our nation's dead and hospitalized homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered people are receiving after-the-fact sympathies, while the healthy gays and lesbians among us are expected to suffer from the same root discrimination. Are rights advocates expected to remain patient, even happy, about such progress?

The proverbial plate is too full, pooh-poohs our political elite. The rationale underlying such sentiments is that reforming our nation's health-care system, improving our economy and winning the war in Afghanistan must of course take priority over gay rights.

Is it too much to ask for more, sooner rather than later? (Read his full piece HERE.)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Congrats to all the good people at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center who have been helping the LGBT population for 38 years now. To celebrate this remarkable milestone, they did what the gays do best -- they had a big star-studded gala. The hilarious Chelsea Handler hosted the event (definitely watch the clip -- her crowd-specific humor is surprisingly deft). Jane Lynch is razor-sharp introducing fellow "Glee" cast member Amber Riley. And Jay Leno's heartfelt award presentation to Wanda Sykes -- who having been out for less than a year likens her winning the Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award to Obama's Nobel Peace Prize -- is worth a look, too. Other speeches, including Coco Peru and Zachary Quinto, can be viewed HERE.

Is there any question that Tegan and Sara would be my "favorite duo of all time" if their debut had come out in 1982 instead of the late '90s? Obviously the answer is no. But now that they have six albums -- including the just-released stylistic change-up "Sainthood," which features a song called "Alligator" that The Washington Post says "sounds like vintage Madonna, whose presence looms large both here and on the Material Girl-referring 'Paperback Head'" -- where do I even begin? My pal Russell invited us to see them in concert later this month but it looks like there are no more tickets ("Damn lesbians bought 'em all," he explained). Right now, the only two songs I know are "One Second," which my pal Christopher included on a playlist he did for me last year ("The weekend reminded me that Canada is an enormous country with a small population. Apparently Tegan and Sara need to live on opposite sides of it in order to get along. I didn't know this song from their 'I'll Take the Blame' EP before I heard them play it live last month. It sounded much more like a new wave nugget than this studio version, but I love the creepy calliope quality it achieves. They are by far Canada's best identical twin lesbian folk rock duo") and the wonderful "Not Tonight," a version of which I have by Matt Sharp and Maya Rudolph. I'm tempted to just dive into the new LP, but am open to suggestions -- from lesbians or otherwise.

The winners of the inaugural GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising were announced yesterday in New York. Orbitz.com received the prize for Outstanding Television – Mainstream Market and Allstate received the award for Outstanding Print/Outdoor – Mainstream Market. Mitchell Gold, Bob Williams and Subaru received special honors at the event that included special guests Alan Cumming (host), David Mixner, Judith Light and Bryan Batt of "Mad Men." Click HERE to see all the nominees and the big winners.